Smoke from wildfires has forced people to evacuate from Poplar River First Nation.

The Canadian Red Cross helped evacuate 285 people with medical issues, as well as escorts, due to smoke from a wildfire near the community of about 1,200 people. Poplar River is around 345 kilometres north of Winnipeg and east of Lake Winnipeg.

Over the last 24 hours, the fire grew from less than 100 hectares to close to 300 hectares, driven by strong winds, a provincial government spokesperson said. The fire is about 11 km away from Poplar River.

Even though the fire has grown, the risk to humans hasn’t, the spokesperson said.

The evacuees will stay in hotels in Winnipeg. Red Cross spokesperson Jason Small couldn’t say how long they might be there.

“It’s really just dependent on the fire and it’s up to the community to decide when they feel it is safe to return,” he told CBC News.